Evidence for extramural settlement north of the Roman fort at Newstead (Trimontium), Roxburghshire

Abstract

Excavations in 1996 revealed information about the fort defences, north and west annexe defences, amphitheatre, and first- and second-century AD extramural settlement. This contributes to the debate on the function and status of annexes both at Newstead and in other contemporary Roman forts, and to understanding of Roman interaction with the indigenous population. Proposed identification of a small amphitheatre underlies that status of Newstead as a major military base, but also suggests that arenas were far more common than has generally been recognised, stimulating a search for similar structures at other Roman sites in Scotland.